Hope Lost
by Drafonis
Summary: Yumi's parents have learned something about Lyoko. Will she ignore her parents' wishes or abandon her friends?
1. Chapter 1: Discovery!

Hope Lost

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Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko. It belongs to Antefilms and France-3

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A/N: This will definitely be a chapter story, but it won't replace the "Broken Heart" series. This idea came to me in about five minutes, so do not flame that the idea seems strained. This fic focuses on Yumi's point of view, with a few chapters of from the others.

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Summary: What happens if, during a X.A.N.A. attack on the gang's parents, the adults find out about Lyoko and do NOT forget it during a return to the past?

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Chapter 1: Discovery!

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I sat with my parents, waiting for my friends to stop the attack before the house keeled apart. I gasped in horror at what I saw. What had once been a tiny monkey was now the size of an elephant and had just ripped the roof off. I hoped Ulrich and Odd were faring well in Lyoko, because, if they weren't, I was about to become a pancake. Still, I struggled to keep a calm face, so as to make my parents feel reassured. Outside, I heard the chatter of rifle fire as the military tried to take the monkey down.

The huge monkey lowered it's palm, and I knew that I was a goner. The palm was falling rapidly. But, just a second before the palm hit, it stopped. I let out a sigh of relief, but then I noticed something weird. My parents were still moving! Did Jeremie accidentally upload their specs into the Lyoko database? That was my last thought before being engulfed in a huge white bubble of light.

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I was back in my room, with the roof firmly attached. Time had reset to the morning of the attack. I put my clothes on (the usual, a black shirt and black pants) and went down for breakfast.

"Hello, Yumi. Your father and I need to talk to you about something." Mom said sternly. I knew that something was wrong, and I thought back to the time freeze. Could this have to do with them being able to move when time froze?

"Yes, um, Yumi. About your friends. We know that you've been doing some, err, rather dangerous activities, and we want it to end. From now on, you are not to see your friends Ulrich, Odd, or Jeremie again except during class time." Father said, and I knew now what the problem was. They had remembered the X.A.N.A. attack and were worried. But this wasn't good. If we couldn't go to the factory, then we couldn't go to Lyoko _or _materialize Aelita.

"Father, please. If you know that it's dangerous, please let me explain why I- Why _we_ have to risk it." I said, pleading with my father to reconsider.

"No, Yumi. Your mother and I want what's best for you, and that's _not _to get involved with whatever it is caused that monkey attack. Yes, I know that it's not a random event." Father said.

"Father, I beg you, please don't take me away from Ulrich!" I yelled, and instantly regretted it. He now only knew about my relationship with Ulrich, and that meant that he would...

"I knew it, this isn't just a necessity for you to have access to your friends. This is all because of that kid, Ulrich! Well, you are to never talk to him. Understand, young lady!?" Father said angrily.

I felt a huge wave of anger wash over me. I don't understand what I did next, but I didn't want to talk to Father. I didn't even want to _see _him, so I put my backpack on, took my cell phone, and ran out of the house. Behind me, I heard Father's angry shouts, and I knew that I was going to pay dearly for this transgression. I couldn't even use being late as an excuse, since it was still two hours before the school opens. I decided to call Ulrich and tell him the bad news.

"Hey, Yumi. What's up?" I heard Ulrich say on the other end groggily.

"I, erm, have a rather big emergency... Can you get Jeremie and Odd and have them meet me at the cafeteria in fifteen minutes? And get a seat that's far from any teachers or windows?" I asked hastily, not wanting the call to last long so that my parents wouldn't realize that I had already violated their rule about not talking to Ulrich.

"Sure, but why do you want to be far from teachers or windows?" Ulrich asked, and I realized that I had not thought of a good way to get Ulrich to ignore my rather peculiar instructions.

"Sorry, can't talk now. Mom's calling. I'll meet you in fifteen, Ulrich." I said hastily, cutting the call before Ulrich could protest.

I ran to the school, trying not to be spotted by Mother or Father. Every step I took, I was afraid that their car would pull up and drive me to the school. I looked up and saw that it was raining.

_"Great, what else could go wrong today?"_ I silently asked myself. Being deep in thought, I didn't notice the rock in front of me, and I felt myself fall to the ground

"Argh!" I yelled in frustration, getting back up.

When I got to the school, I headed straight for the cafeteria. Jim spotted me and walked over.

"What happened to _you_, Yumi?" Jim asked.

"I, um, tripped on my way here." I replied.

"Well, you ought to be more careful." Jim said, walking away. Wondering what Jim was talking about, I noticed that my palms and face were bloody. Apparently the fall caused more damage than I thought it had. Shrugging, I continued my advance towards the cafeteria.

When I walked into the cafeteria, I looked around for Ulrich and the others. They were sitting at the table that (thankfully) was far from the windows and cafeteria teachers.

Smiling slightly at the fact that Ulrich obviously trusted me, I walked toward their table.

"Yumi!" Ulrich shouted happily. I could tell that he liked me... But now wasn't the time to talk about that.

"Hey, guys." I said, taking the last empty seat in that section.

"Hey, Yumi. So what's the emergency?" Odd asked.

"I've got some rather bad news. My parents know about the attacks." I began.

"Hmm... Yumi, did you notice anything strange during the attack?" Jeremie asked.

"Yes. You know how everyone except us freezes just before a time reset?" I asked, and they all nodded. "Well, my parents didn't freeze during the last reset. Do you think _this_ could be X.A.N.A.'s plot?"

"It's possible, Yumi. But what could his motive be?" Jeremie asked.

"Well, if it's to force the group to fall apart, I'd say he already has one point." I said.

"What do you... _What!?_" Jeremie, Odd, and Ulrich said in unison.

"My parents want me to stop hanging out with you guys. That means no fighting X.A.N.A, no hangouts, nothing, no contact whatsoever. What should I do?" I asked.

"Well, your parents can't keep an eye on you during school, can they?" Ulrich asked.

"Unfortunately, knowing my parents, they'll enlist the school staff's help in isolating me from you.

"Hmm... This is a problem, Yumi. I'll ask Aelita what to do about this." Jeremie said.

"Right. I'd better go before the principal comes after receiving instructions to separate us. Oh, and be careful, Ulrich. Try not to have the same problem. I'll call you every once in a while." I said, walking away with my back turned. I felt tears begin to build up in my eyes, because I knew that this may well be the last time I got to see them.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" a girl voice asked. I didn't even look at her, because I already knew who it was. Sissy.

"Why are you walking away? Did Ulrich dear hurt you? I sure hope so." Sissy said, in her usual annoying tone. Normally, I wouldn't have bothered with her stupid comments. But I was in a bad mood, so I couldn't control it. My hand flew out, grabbing her neck. I raised the girl up over my head.

"If you _ever_, and I repeat, _ever_, bother Ulrich or myself again, you're going to look worse than I do right now." I said angrily, throwing Sissy into a table. Unfortunately for me, Jim saw me do that.

"Yumi, this time you've gone too far. I'm taking you to the principal's office. Follow me, _now!_" Jim said, escorting me away. I faced my friends and sadly waved goodbye.

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A/N: For those of you who are confused, this is _not _part of the Broken Heart/Opening Moves/TBA series. This is a standalone fanfiction that will not be a series, and won't have much action. This is just another one of my random musings (similar to how "Broken Heart" was created, a random musing.)


	2. Chapter 2: Confrontation!

Hope Lost

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Chapter 2: Confrontation!

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"Miss Ishiyama, Jim here tells me that you attacked Sissy. Is this true?" the principal asked. We were in his office, a large, wooden room.

"Yes, it is." I replied coldly. I didn't care what happened anymore.

"That is completely unacceptable, Yumi. I thought you knew better. You are suspended for 3 months. I hope this never happens again." The principal said. I stormed out angrily, punching a garbage can in anger. This whole day had been just one problem after another. And it was about to get worse, I knew it.

When I got home, I was greeted with stern, angry faces. Exactly as I had predicted, my parents were angry at my escape attempt. Not wanting to stick around for the lecture on proper behavior, I muttered "hello" to them and went upstairs to my room. I jumped onto my bed and fell asleep.

When I woke up, I spotted my parents hovering over me. On their faces were identical angry expressions. I knew that I had made the matter worse by going to my room when they wanted to give me the lecture.

"Yumi, you know that your mother and I are very disappointed in you, so I won't into this. I want to know what possessed you to attack the principal's daughter." Father said sternly.

"She was being annoying, teasing me because I had left Ulrich very angrily." I replied, immediately covering my mouth in horror. I had given away that I had seen Ulrich, which would make Father even angrier.

"So, you saw Ulrich again, even though I told you not to! Young lady, you are grounded for the entire duration of your suspension." Father said, and I felt my anger bubbling. I was practically an adult! Who was he to tell me who I could and couldn't see?

Before I could stop myself, I saw my hand fly out and strike Father's face. I ran out the door and into the street with my cell phone. I had decided. I would run away from my parents and this town. Dialing Ulrich's number, I walked toward the bus stop in a fit.

"Hello, Yumi. What's up?" Ulrich asked.

"I was suspended for three months, and I just slapped Father. There's no other choice. I'm running away, Ulrich. My whole life's falling apart. It has been since we met Aelita, but you four made it tolerable. Without you guys, I don't know what I can do. Maybe a fresh start is what we need." I said into the phone.

"Yumi, please don't make any rash decisions. I understand that you're upset. We all are. We've all been dealing with the same things. Doubt, fear, the whole works. But you cannot let one tiny thing destroy your whole life! Plus, don't forget. This is probably X.A.N.A.'s work. Once we stop the attack, everything will be back to how it was." Ulrich said.

"But Jeremie said that he can't locate the bug. What if it's permanent?" I asked.

"That won't happen, Yumi. I promise you. And, once this is over, we can be together again." Ulrich said. "But I want you to promise that you won't do anything rash."

"Okay, Ulrich. I promise." I said. "Bye. Love you." Wait, did I just say "love you"? What did this mean?

"Me too, Yumi. I'll see you around." Ulrich said.

I hung up, feeling much better. After a small walk, I might just feel better. Little did I know what would happen.

I got lost in the large city. This wasn't uncommon when you had a lot your mind. But I had wandered into the worst part of the city. Americans would this area a ghetto. Crime was rampant in there. There were even rumors of rampant cannibalism.

In such a place, it is dangerous to look well-off. Unfortunately for me, I did meet that criteria, and I wasn't experienced enough to take on an entire street gang by myself. I should have turned around. But I didn't. I didn't know why, but I ignored my own advice. And that turned out to be mistake.

I was cornered by about twenty males, all bigger than me. They told me to give me everything I had, but I resisted. Before I fell to the ground, I dialed the emergency number. The police heard the sound of a beating, and I told my location weakly. Upon realizing that I had called the police, the thugs fled the scene. The last thing I saw before passing out were the feet of six police officers.

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A/N: Sorry for not updating, but I've been busy with school and the "Broken Heart" series.

Don't worry, the mood will lighten up in a few chapters. Or it may not, it depends. However, it will stay in a similar key until the last chapter. My plans for this fanfiction are very flexible.


	3. Chapter 3: Confusion and Sorrow!

**Hope Lost**

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A/N: This will probably be the last update until Saturday, as I have to get ready for the PSAT.

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Chapter 3: Confusion and Sorrow!

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I woke up in a hospital room. The curtain was open, and light entered the tiny room. Ulrich was sitting in the corner of the room, his face tear-streaked. Even though he was hunched over, I could tell that he had been crying. Did he like me? Why should he pick me over the other girls?

"Ulrich?" I asked weakly, and tried to move my arm. This action caused a large stab of pain. I involuntarily let out a gasp.

I saw Ulrich walk up to me, sitting down on the bed.

"Hey, Yumi." He said, hiccupping slightly. I saw a few scratch marks on his arms, as well as a couple of bruises.

"What happened, Ulrich? What's wrong?" I asked.

"It's... it's your father. He thought I did this to you, and we got into a rather large fight. I... I went a little overboard. He's alive, but barely." Ulrich said, sobbing. He knew that, no matter what I said, I loved my parents. I guess that he was feeling guilty.

I tried to move a little to hug him, but couldn't. When I tried to move nearly any part of my body, there was a sharp burst of pain. Apparently the attackers had done more damage than I expected.

Suddenly, I heard a loud commotion in the emergency hallway. There were the sounds of people dashing around, trying to find something that sounded important.

"Ulrich? Can you check what's going on outside?" I asked weakly.

"Sure, Yumi." Ulrich replied, walking over to the door to my room. He made it so that I could see the people running around.

They were talking about a patient, a male. Apparently, he had been taken in for a rather severe wound. Hang on, didn't Ulrich say that he had hurt Father? Could it be? I felt tears trickling down my cheeks as I realized the reality of what Ulrich had done. He put his life and freedom on the line? Why?

"Why?" I gasped out, as sobs racked my body. I felt my ribs aching, but it didn't matter to me. All I knew was that Ulrich had hurt, possibly even killed, my father. I pushed myself carefully out of the bed, but Ulrich told me that I should stay there because I had a lot of broken bones. Sighing, I decided to listen to him.

A doctor barged into the room, telling me to stay on the bed as well. He then shooed Ulrich out the door, and proceeded to check if my physical exertion caused any problems, but it didn't. Leaving the room, he dropped what looked like keys. Ulrich then reentered the room, but I turned away. I wanted to make my disappointment in him clear, but I didn't expect his reaction. He slumped over, crying.

"Please, Yumi. Please don't be angry at me. He attacked first. It seems that he thinks I'm responsible for the situation on Lyoko..." Ulrich said, tears leaking down his cheeks.

"Ulrich, I'm sorry. But I can't betray my parent's trust. How can I? Wouldn't you do anything for your parents? I hope you understand. I can't stay as a member of the fight against X.A.N.A. if it means losing my parents' trust. I'm leaving." I said, and hit the button to call a nurse.

When the nurse came, I told her to evict Ulrich and not let him back in. The nurse followed my request to the letter, and I sighed. Did I do the right thing? I know for certain that I upset Ulrich greatly. But did I do what _I _wanted to do, or what my _father _wanted me to do? Worst of all, did I just sacrifice Ulrich, as well as the entire human race, to death?

The next few days were painful. I was refusing to eat. Mother asked if I was feeling all right. I wanted to tell her I wasn't. But how could I bother my mother with my problems when Father was nearly dead? And worse, I couldn't tell her that it was my fault. If she knew that I was hurt because I had foolishly wandered into the ghettoes, she would blame me. And while that would take the blame off Ulrich, I would never be trusted to be on my own again. And I may as well just give up school, because my parents would force me to be home-schooled.

When I was released, my mother let me take an extra day off to rest. While I didn't want to stay, I stayed anyway. I wanted to apologize to Ulrich, but I didn't. I was afraid of what I would see. What if I saw Ulrich going out with Sissy? Or Millie? I wasn't prepared for such a heartbreak. So I stayed home. Maybe if I hadn't, things would have turned out differently.

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A/N: I hope this chapter wasn't too boring, but this isn't an action fic.

Trillinka, I'm sorry that things aren't going well in this fic so far. However, I wrote the story in a manner that it isn't practical to go into a romance at this point. If I did that, it would seem a little unrealistic. So, I apologize, but you'll have to put up with the angst for a few more chapters. Then, it will be a gradual wind-down that will eventually end the story, possibly leading into a sequel. But I promise a few YxU scenes other than the lunch room scene and the start of this chapter before the sequel.

To all the reviewers so far, I thank you for the reviews. However, I would like some reviews pointing out any negative points you saw, ranging from a misuse of a word to putting someone OOC, or even just a part you didn't like. So far, I only know what my audience likes in a story. However, I don't know what you don't like, so I can't try any variations in chapter structure.


	4. Chapter 4: Pain and Sorrow!

**Hope Lost**

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Chapter 4

Pain and Sorrow!

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After I returned to school, I found that everything had changed during my absence. Jeremie was locked up in his room all day, probably trying to materialize Aelita. Odd was, as usual, sleeping in class, joking, and eating like a pig. But none of that mattered to me. What mattered was that Ulrich had found a replacement for me. I know that that sounds selfish, but it hurt me deep inside. And worse, it was someone who he had assured me he had no intention of going with.

I am talking about Sissy. Sissy, the girl that Ulrich had spent nearly all his time trying to avoid. Why was life so unfair? Not only was I forbidden to talk to him, he found a replacement – in one day! – that happens to be my rival! Is there a reality television show that's trying to figure out how many things can go wrong in one week, and I just happened to be it's guinea pig? I almost hoped that that was true, that I would get some reward after this.

I knew I had to confront Ulrich about this, but the question was how? In response to my mother's threat of removing me from the school, the principal had given all the teachers orders to make sure I didn't contact him, or any of the others from my clique.

In my mind, I made plans, and scrapped them as quickly as they came. I was so preoccupied that my teacher called on me to ask a question.

"Um... Turnips!" I blurted out, and I could tell, from the way my classmates were giggling, that not only was it the wrong answer, it also had no meaning in the given situation.

"Yumi Ishiyama, that is wrong. And please, in the future, _pay attention_! Next time, it will be a detention with Jim." My teacher said.

"Yes, sir." I responded, avoiding adding even a trace of sarcasm. If I wasn't careful, I would never be able to talk to Ulrich again.

"Very good. Can anyone else answer my question?" he asked.

After class, he asked to talk to me after class. Nervously, I agreed to stay.

"Yumi, I understand that this a very troubling time for you. Your life is changing so rapidly that I am afraid of doing anything. If there's anything you want me to do, please tell me now." My teacher said.

_"Yeah, let me talk to Ulrich for a few minutes..."_ I thought, but, not wanting any more trouble, I said "no."

"Well, if you're sure... Please tell me if you think of anything." He said, and began writing me a pass so that I wouldn't be marked late to my next class.

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At home, I spent my entire time scheming a way to talk to Ulrich during the day without being caught and possibly expelled from school. I also had to think without being caught by my parents. They would surely discover my intentions. Then I would surely have another restriction imposed, making it even harder to talk to him.

But my mother decides to make it slightly harder for me to think up a plan. We went to the hospital to visit Father. He was better, but I could tell that he was very much beaten. Ulrich had apparently thrown him into a window or something.

"What's wrong, Yumi? You seem strangely... Quiet today." Father said.

I felt my rage boil. Oh, how I longed to strike out. I know that that sounds wrong, but it's true. But I had to contain my anger. Everything would be normal again... Someday. But when? How soon would it happen?

"No, Father. I'm just... Thinking about today's history lesson." I said, unwilling to lie, yet knowing that I couldn't show Father any desire to speak to Ulrich and the others. Doing so would ruin any chance of me going behind their backs and talking to them.

"Oh? What happened?" Mother asked, genuinely concerned.

"Oh, erm... My sensei just said something that I didn't understand. But I understand it now, Mother." I said.

"Ah. That's okay, as long as you understand it now." Mother said.

But I could tell that Father didn't completely believe my lie. That was to be expected. Father was always good with seeing through lies. Could I use this to my advantage? Maybe make the truth look like a lie?

"So how was your day? Mother? Father?" I asked, and regretted asking Father. How could someone on life support have a good day?

"Mine was good, Yumi. Now, you can go home now if you want." Mother said. That's when I saw my chance.

"I think that would be a good idea. I have lots of homework." I said, and ran out of the room before my father could object.

I kept running towards Kadic. Pulling out my cell phone, I dialed Ulrich's phone number. Silently, I thanked Him that my mother hadn't taken my cell phone away.

"Hey, Yumi. What happened? You seemed kind of... Blanked out in class today." Ulrich said.

"Ulrich, I can't let my parents realize that I called you. Can you meet me by the forest entrance?" I asked.

"Sure thing, Yumi. I'm sorry about going out with Sissy. I... I don't know what came over me." Ulrich said.

"No problem, Ulrich." I said, and ran towards the factory. I wanted to get to the factory without getting caught by Jim. Realizing that Mother would call me once she found out that I wasn't at home, I turned my cell phone off.

When I got to the forest entrance, Ulrich wasn't there. That suited me perfectly, as I hadn't figured out what I would tell him.

Finally, after a few minutes of waiting, Ulrich came. "Hey, Yumi." He said.

"Hey, Ulrich." I replied. "Listen, I'm sorry for how I acted in the hospital."

"No problem, Yumi. I understand that you're upset with what's going on." He said.

I caught sight of a shadow hiding in the trees. "Whoever's out there, show yourself." I called.

Out of the shadows stepped the one person that, as I realized, was the worst person to see Ulrich here: Sissy.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Sissy asked tauntingly. "Two lovebirds in the middle of the forest." This was accompanied by a spit in Ulrich's direction.

Instinctively, I jumped in front of Ulrich. "Sissy, watch what you say and do right now." I snarled. "Or did you forget already the last time you upset me?"

"Oh, I haven't forgotten, Yumi," she replied. "It's just that Ulrich shouldn't be here."

"Neither should you, Sissy." I said coolly.

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A/N: I'm sorry for the lack of updates, but hopefully this made up for it.


	5. Chapter 5: Demise?

**Hope Lost**

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Chapter 5

Demise?

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"Sissy, I hope you know that…" I began, and then faltered. What could I say to insult her without having her drag me to Jim? While Jim was strict, he probably would jump at the chance to have Ulrich and myself suspended, and would probably reward Sissy for turning us in.

"That what, Yumi?" Sissy asked. That's when I realized the only thing that I could do to get out of trouble. I remembered my martial arts sensei teaching about some techniques that could cause memory loss. If I used that, she might forget.

Silently, I nodded to Ulrich, who nodded back. He distracted Sissy by talking sweet to her, while I snuck away and attacked her with a palm strike to the back of her head. She fell down to the ground, unconscious.

"Yumi, we'd better get out of here before Jim finds us." Ulrich said, and we snuck away into the forest.

When I arrived home, I found that, to my relief, Mother was still with Father in the hospital. Apparently Father was getting some sort of operation that would help him get better sooner.

That's when I realized what I had to do to end this situation. I would force my parents to let me see my friends. But how? I knew that using the technique I used on Sissy would only get me into more trouble.

I decided to settle on some training. It was a while since I had fought outside of Lyoko, and it seemed that something might happen that would change the course of the war. (A/N: This is one of the changes. I'm planning on semi-integrating this story into the "Broken Heart" trilogy).

After stretching a little bit, I began working on my favorite techniques, and even some combinations. The latter was because of my sensei's suggestions, as I often forgot to mix up techniques. I suppose it got even worse because of my Lyoko fighting, where I only had two possible techniques (unless I decided to go hand-to-hand with a Block, Crab, or Roachster, which would only earn me a chance to be devirtualized.)

That was when Mother came home from the hospital. Quickly, I ran up to my room, took off my martial arts uniform, and ran back down.

"Hello, Mother. How's Father?" I asked.

"He'll be fine. It was only a minor injury." Mother said, slamming her fist on the table, and I could tell she was still mad at Ulrich.

The next day, at school, I went to all my classes like an automaton, barely noticing when I saw Ulrich. I was careful to avoid Ulrich, since my parents might have told teachers to report to them if I was seen near Ulrich.

During lunch, I noticed that Ulrich had picked up his cell phone. So, there's an attack going on. He started going to dial someone's number, possibly my own, because he thought better of it. Then, he snuck out of the lunch room.

My cell phone started beeping, showing that I had a text message. It was from Jeremie, and said:

Y

S.O.S. X.A.N.A. Stay alert.

J

I smiled, since that was the shorthand that we had chosen to avoid being linked to the factory and Lyoko. So, they didn't consider me a deserter. That was good, it meant that I could go back to them.

I began looking around for any sign of danger, when I spotted two people that hadn't been there before. Both looked big and stupid, and exactly identical, as though they had come off an assembly line. Their head's were shaven until part of their skull was visible.

Quietly, I gestured to the girl sitting across from me to get down, and began to walk toward Jim, giving the impression of calmness. The truth was, however, I was scared. Although I had faced dangerous things in the past, I had always known that my friends would help bail me out. Now, however, even if Aelita did reach the tower, not everything would be as it should.

"Jim?" I asked, when I finally reached him.

"Yes, Yumi?" Jim asked, in a not-too-respectful tone, but I didn't care yet.

"There are some strange people over there." I said, pointing to the doorway where I had sighted them, but they weren't there anymore.

"Is this a joke?" Jim asked.

Suddenly, I felt a sudden pain in my back, causing me to fall to the ground. One of the muscle-bound men had hit me on my back. Quickly, I got on my hands and kicked backwards, catching one of them in the chin. I then spun around and delivered a spinning backfist to the other's jaw.

"Jim, get the other students and run! I'll take care of them!" I yelled, as I blocked a punch from the first one. The second one, however, kicked me in the face, sending me crashing into a table. I picked up a fork and threw it at the offender, who allowed it to hit him. He crashed to the floor.

At this, the first let loose a strange bellow, almost like that of a bull. This proved that they were not completely human. That one, however, ran to a table, picked it up, and threw it at me. It narrowly missed, and I felt myself get hit by pieces of shrapnel. That's when I looked outside and saw that Ulrich was being chased by another of the strange-looking people.

Deciding that it was time to end this, I ran to the window and broke it. Glass cut my hand, and I knew that I'd probably have to go to the hospital by the end of this. Still, I picked up one of the glass shards and rushed at the remaining one. He dodged out of the way clumsily, but I spun around and stabbed it in the throat with the glass shard. Bellowing weakly, it fell to the ground. I pulled the glass out and ran out the window to save Ulrich.

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A/N: I apologize for the lack of updates, but I was having trouble deciding on the conversation Yumi and her mother had after their visiting her father. 


	6. Chapter 6: Survival!

**Hope Lost**

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Chapter 6

Survival!

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I ran out the broken window, following the sound of Ulrich's screams. Drops of blood streamed down the hand I had used to break the window, as well as the one that had held the glass shard I had used to kill the man, but I pushed forward, following, in addition to the afore-mentioned screams, the drops of blood that Ulrich had left over.

After a few minutes, I found the two in a clearing located in the forest. Ulrich had numerous cuts, and was pinned against a tree. "Get away from Ulrich!" I yelled, drawing attention to me. I entered my fighting stance, drawing my right foot back and bending my elbows while closing my fists. "I don't know what you are, but anyone who attacks my friends is in for a rude awakening."

The man who was attacking Ulrich rushed at me, fist drawn back. I grabbed it and spun into a side takedown, sending the man to the ground. His exposed skull slammed against a rock and broke, sending greenish blood to the ground.

"Ae… lita… save…" the man muttered, and then started twitching. He was dead, his brain fried.

"Okay, that was weird. Did you hear what he said?" I asked Ulrich.

"He said… 'Aelita… save'. What does that mean?" he said.

"I'm sorry for how I treated you in the hospital, Ulrich."

"It's all right. You were stressed out. That's understandable. Now, what do you say we get X.A.N.A. back for everything that happened in the last week?"

"Sure thing."

We ran down the grate entrance. That's when I noticed that my skateboard was still there. I smiled again. My friends had not abandoned me, and even given me a chance to return. Let's just hope that my parents do, as well.

I jumped onto my skateboard, sliding down the sewer pipes. "Hey, Ulrich, want to race?" I yelled, exhilarated.

"Sure. Last one to the elevator has to take rear!" Ulrich yelled, accepting my challenge.

When we reached the ladder (in a dead heat), we both started trying to get on the ladder. Of course, this resulted in several falls where I decided to let him start first, and then proceeded, trying hard not to look up, which would certainly cause problems.

When I got on top of the ladder, I began running, and, for some reason, Ulrich had waited for me, perhaps to be more "gentlemanly". We rushed forward. I felt my legs aching as they begged me for a moment of rest, but I denied it.

We reached the ropes, and swung down, and our feet entered the elevator at the same moment.

"Wait, how to we solve this? It's a tie!" Ulrich exclaimed, pressing the descent button.

"Taking turns on the rear." I replied.

"Sure thing, but who takes rear first?"

"Let's decide by _Rock, Paper, Scissors_."

"Sure thing."

We then recited the lines, and it ended up… Another tie!

The elevator stopped, so we quickly decided on a line formation. We had ended up in the scanner room, where there were two open scanners waiting for us.

"Scanner, Ulrich. Scanner, Yumi." Jeremie's voice came over the intercom when we were both securely inside the scanners. "Transfer, Ulrich. Transfer, Yumi." I felt myself lift into the air and turn slowly. "Virtualization!" At this, I felt a rush of wind that sent my hair up.

We landed in the polar region. I snapped out my fan and took a few practice throws to make sure that I wasn't rusty. After all, it had been a while since my last trip to Lyoko.

"Ulrich, Yumi, Blocks incoming!" Jeremie yelled, and I quickly entered a stance similar to a common one by _geisha_. After all, I was dressed like one; why not act like one?

The Blocks opened fire at Ulrich, and he began weaving. "Yumi, find Aelita!" he yelled.

"What about you?" I exclaimed.

"Don't worry about me!"

"Ulrich, Yumi, be careful! There was a problem with the transfer!" Jeremie yelled.

I threw my fan in an attempt to draw at least one Block toward me, and managed to destroy one.

"Good one, Yumi!" Ulrich exclaimed, as he slashed through another Block. "Now, Yumi!"

I nodded, and broke off from the fighting, leaving Ulrich to fend for himself.

"Yumi, Aelita's due north." Jeremie said, and I nodded, though I know that he couldn't see me.

"Hey, Yumi!" I heard Aelita's voice as she ran over to me, her feet sliding slightly on the ice. I reentered my ready position, waiting for anything dangerous.

"Hey, Yumi." Ulrich's voice came from behind me, and I yelped. Ulrich had finished off the Blocks, and managed to sneak up behind me.

"Ulrich, you've got fifty life points left." Jeremie said.

We took off down the polar plane, with Jeremie guiding us through what looked like a valley of ice.

"Take a left!" Jeremie exclaimed. He seemed really animated in this battle. "Erm, you've got three Hornets incoming!"

"Blast it!" I exclaimed. "Jeremie, is the tower guarded?"

"Hang on. I'll check… Nope, and there're no monsters in a six-mile radius of you."

"Aelita, can you manage?"

"Yes, I can." Aelita responded.

"Then go. Ulrich and I'll cover your retreat."

"Right."

Aelita ran off, and I let loose with my fan, then dodged a laser from the first Hornet. The forward arc failed, but the return struck that one on the back, sending it crashing to the ground. Ulrich took his chance and stabbed it's X.A.N.A. eye. The Hornet exploded in a ball of fire.

Suddenly, there was a searing pain in my back as a laser from a second Hornet hit me in the back, sending me tumbling into one of the valley walls.

"Yumi, you've only got eighty life points!" Jeremie yelled.

"Long as Aelita gets past." I said grimly, as I threw my fan again. This time, a Hornet was hit, exploding in a ball of fire.

"One left!" Ulrich yelled, as he leaped onto the Hornet, and stabbed it in the eye. Then he leaped off it, as it exploded. "Now let's catch up to Aelita."

"Right."

We ran back down the valley, following the path that Aelita had left us. Behind us, X.A.N.A.'s monsters were following us.

"How's it going, Aelita?" Jeremie asked. There was a delay, and then Jeremie informed us about what was going on. "Guys, hurry. Aelita's pinned down by a Megatank and three Krabs."

"Right." I said. "Ulrich, I'm useless against Krabs and Megatanks. I'll cover your retreat and, if I'm not devirtualized, will meet up with you."

"Understood, Yumi. Be careful." Ulrich said. I nodded, and whipped open my fan. All three of the enemies I was facing were Blocks.

I took aim at the first Block's X.A.N.A. eye, and then threw my fan. It hit, destroying the monster. Two more left.

The second Block opened fire at me, and I blocked it with my fan. Then, I threw it, but this one dodged. Then, I was hit by a laser in the leg.

"Yumi, seventy life points!" Jeremie yelled.

"No problem, Jeremie." I replied, and threw my fan again, destroying the offender. One left. Then I threw again, but this one missed, and the Block fired it's ice laser. I felt ice grow over me, and I couldn't move.

"Yumi, you're out of bounds for three minutes."

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the delay, but I was having trouble deciding on what to do after Yumi chases after the clone that was attacking Ulrich.

Also, sorry for the cliffhanger, but I wanted to get at least one more chapter before May, as that's going to be a real hectic month for me. First I have try-outs for a singing contest (I'm going to be singing "A World Without Danger" as my first song), then an interview for a boarding program to Israel (three years in a boarding school, all expenses paid, with the possibility of getting a bachelor's degree, for nothing), then the test for the aforementioned program, then dress rehearsal for the singing contest, then the performance itself. As you can see, May will not have too many fanfiction updates.


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